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Eckerd College President Dr. Donald R. Eastman III is the recipient of this year's CASE III National Chief Executive Leadership Award. This prestigious award recognizes the Chief Executive of a CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education) District III member institution for outstanding leadership and service in support of education. CASE District III advances and supports educational and professional institutions in the southeastern United States.

Dr. Eastman was recognized for defining the five essential values of Eckerd College: residential, global, spiritual, environmental, and personal. Under his leadership, Eckerd's Board of Trustees has increased its alumni representation and has elevated the College's standing in the higher education world. In 2003, Eckerd was named one of 13 "Institutions of Excellence in the First College Year" and awarded a Phi Beta Kappa chapter. In 2004, President Eastman proposed a 10-year strategic plan, which was unanimously approved by the faculty and Board of Trustees. Since 2001, through his guidance, the College has seen more than $50 million in new construction and improvement across the campus resulting in an increase in enrollment and retention.

About Donald R. Eastman III
Dr. Eastman was appointed the fourth president of Eckerd College in July 2001. Before his appointment, he served ten years at the University of Georgia (UGA), first as Vice President for Development and University Relations and then as Vice President for Strategic Planning and Public Affairs. Prior to UGA, he held administrative positions at Cornell University and the University of Tennessee.

He is a member of the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP) Board and Association of Governing Boards (AGB) Council of Presidents. He serves as an ex officio member of The Florida Council of 100 and was appointed to the Educational Facilities Authority by the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners. He recently completed service as President of the NCAA Division II Sunshine State Conference and as a member of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) Board. He has served on the boards of the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce and Salvador Dalí Museum, and was a member of the Florida Orchestra Board of Advisors. He has published on topics in higher education, international education, and English literature; he also writes poetry.

President Eastman earned his B.A., magna cum laude, in Philosophy and English (with a minor in Art History) from the University of Tennessee. He earned his Ph.D. in English at the University of Florida. He and his wife, Christine, have three sons.